ROBERTS REPAIR - Key Persons
Katherine Huntzinger descended on the office in 2015, boldly taking charge as no one has before. Previously she worked in purchasing and inventory for other companies. She likes to say she has her BS degree in accounting from FU (Bachelor of Science from Franklin University). Her hobby is cooking.
Kerry Roberts has been with us since October of 1996. Before this he worked in a tool and die shop for several years. His specialties are vehicle maintenance (he's very particular about checklists) and heavy truck repair. He has multiple Master ASE certifications, Master Ambulance EVT, and several Fire Apparatus EVT certifications. He has been known to stop in at customer locations on the way to work (on his own time) just to make sure the fleet was road ready. (He is a driver favorite) His hobby is metal-working with his lathe.
Kevin Roberts was the second of seven children raised on a farm in central Wisconsin and he discovered early on that he got along better with the equipment than with the animals. His favorite chores where using and servicing the tractors, trucks, cars, and farm equipment. His favorite work place was in the shop, organizing the tools and equipment, and figuring out what made things work. He credits his 8th grade science teacher with instilling in him a confidence that mechanical things were understandable if you were committed to reading and willing to take them apart (as well a put them back together).
After high school, he worked in construction in the city of Milwaukee, starting out as a laborer and becoming a union Bricklayer through a Joint Apprenticeship opportunity. By the end of his six years in the industry he was a commercial jobsite foreman for the masonry contractor that employed him. (He also helped maintain and repair the construction equipment as needed)
The next six years were spent as maintenance director for Crescent Lake Bible Camp. It was this position that brought him to Rhinelander Wisconsin. He was in charge of a maintenance crew that often consisted of just himself, maintaining 30 plus buildings, multiple vehicles and pieces of equipment. He loved the work and the people he became friends with. It was here he met his wife.
When it was time to start a family, Kevin wanted a career that provided not only a steady income, but the opportunity to spend time with that family. He purchased a plot of land that had a house and shop in close proximity, spent some time making the shop usable, and opened for business. The freedom to walk home for lunch with his children was all it was hoped to be. Three boys and a girl later he is often found talking about his remarkable children.
After doing so, he was invited to attend the EVTCC Validation Conference to take part as a volunteer committee member in the test development process. He has worked with them almost every year since, becoming a committee chairman and in 2015, joining the board of directors.
In 2005 he was invited to a Police Fleet Expo, the first of several and was given the opportunity to write a series of articles for the Police Fleet Manager Magazine. This continued until 2010 when he served as an adjunct instructor for Nicolet Technical College and was unable to devote the necessary time to writing. These articles are archived at Hendon Media Group.
In late 2012 he was approached by CarQuest Technical Institute about becoming a trainer of automotive technicians. He had been attending the classes offered by CTI for well over a decade and with a certain amount of trepidation accepted the offer. This has continued since and he has regular regions in Mississippi, Arkansas, Illinois, and southern Wisconsin. He also leads individual classes as needed across the country.
Since 2014 he has produced and delivered Ambulance Training for California, Oregon, and Colorado Fire Mechanics associations. These are usually 4 or 5 days of instruction that cover all areas of ambulance service and include both lecture and hands on training.
Kevin was the lone Technician for the first few years, times were lean but progress was consistent. He developed a reputation for being able to work on all the unusual things that other shops avoided. He serviced propane engines, farm tractors, and construction equipment. He was able to perform fabrication in his weld shop. When ambulance customers came calling it was time to attain certification status. He took and passed the ASE Automobile tests to achieve Master Automobile Technician status and then took the truck tests to achieve Master Truck Technician status. He added L-1 and L-2 Advanced Gas and Diesel Diagnosis Certifications as well. He began attending emergency vehicle maintenance conferences where he learned that the Emergency Vehicle Technicians Certification Commission provided a path to certification in addition to the ASE certifications. He took advantage of the opportunity to achieve Master Ambulance Technician status and also passed several of the Fire Apparatus certification tests.
Scott Breitzman is our go-to all-around take care of things guy. He maintains the plethora of equipment in the shop, makes parts runs both local and out of town, and is an extra hand whenever the Techs need one.